Rapid Penang on-demand van service to get three new routes; two more vans on existing route from March 15

Rapid Bus has announced that it will be expanding its Rapid Penang On-Demand services on the island with three additional routes and two more vans for its current route, starting from March 15.

Previously known as Demand Responsive Transit (DRT), the expanded service will cover Gurney and Tanjung Bungah (route T110B) with six vans, Sunway and Butterworth (route T710B) with six vans and Paya Terubong (route T211B) with one van, Rapid Bus said in its statement.

The new routes aim to meet the demand for public transport in densely populated areas and newly-developed areas which have yet to gain access to public transport, and these routes will serve as first- and last-mile connections in the existing Rapid Penang network, enhancing public transport connectivity in the state, Rapid Penang stated.

A total of 50 vans will be deployed in stages for various services in Penang this year, Rapid Bus acting CEO Ku Jamil Zakaria said. This is aimed at encouraging the public to shift to a more flexible and efficient public transport system, he said.

The existing T210B route between Farlim and Ayer Itam will gain two additional vans for a total of four vans in service on this route, and is aimed at accommodating high demand and to reduce wait times from 17 minutes to 10 minutes, he added.

Since launch, the route has recorded and average of 137 passengers daily, exceeding its initial target of 100 passengers daily, and total ridership has exceeded 26,000 passenger in the last seven months, according to Rapid Penang.

The Rapid Penang On-Demand service operates daily from 6am to 11pm, and the service can be booked through the Kummute mobile application. The promotional fare for each trip is RM1, and is payable through cashless methods including the Mutiara My50 pass, OKU Smile pass, debit and credit cards, DuitNow QR, and e-wallets.

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